Tao Te Ching

Chapter 78
[Original text]

The way of heaven [1], is it still a bow?Those who are high suppress it, and those who are low lift it; those who have more will lose it, and those who are not enough will benefit.

The way of heaven is to damage more than enough to make up for what is not enough; the way of man[2] is not the case, to damage enough to give more than enough.Who can have more than enough to serve the world?Only the Taoist.

(It is based on the fact that the sage does not rely on it, and does not rely on it, and does not want to see the virtuous [3].)
【Note】

[1] The way of heaven: the laws and laws of nature.

[2] The Way of Man: The Laws and Laws of Human Society.

[3] Jianxian: Show your talents.The sentences in brackets are not consistent with the above, and have repetitions with the previous chapters, so doubts are redundant.

【Analysis】

The laws and laws of nature, maybe like drawing a bow and shooting an arrow?When the string position is too high, it should be lowered, and when the string position is too low, it should be raised high; if the bow string is stretched too full, the power will be reduced, and if the bow string is too loose, the power will be increased.

The law of nature is like this, to reduce the excess and make up for the deficiency; the law of society is just the opposite, to reduce the deficiency and provide for the surplus.

Who can make up for the deficiencies of the world with their own surplus?I am afraid there is only "Tao".

(Thus, the sage does something but does not rely on his own strength, and achieves achievements without taking credit for himself. It is just that the sage does not want to show off his talent and wisdom.)
【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
The way of heaven is ambiguous, and things are used as metaphors.It is the way of heaven to speak and draw the bow and adjust it, so that the ears can be used.

The way of heaven hurts more than it can but benefits modesty, and it always takes neutrality as the top priority.The way of humanity is contrary to the way of heaven. The worldly people sacrifice the poor to serve the rich, and take away the weak to strengthen the strong.Who can occupy the position of surplus, self-examination of jubilee and salary to serve those who are insufficient in the world?Only the king of Tao can do it.

The sage gives benefits for virtue, and does not rely on his rewards.When you succeed, you are not in your place.I don't want people to know their own sages, hide their merits and not be honored, and fear the damage of the sky.

(End of this chapter)